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4.1 AVERAGE
4.1 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
www.instagram.com/novelswithnick
An underrated book and a great start to a series
This is a historical fantasy inspired by a mix of Irish and a little Norse mythology and although it isn’t the heaviest on fantastical elements, I do think there’s enough to keep any fantasy lover invested as it is one of the main drivers of the plot
The two female characters were great follows with personalities not to be messed with and they had intelligence. They both get thrown into some situations but I liked how they handled them, especially in the male dominated setting
It isn’t the most action packed story but the suspense leading up to certain events was the stand out, especially how fragile things felt. I also found it interesting how there wasn’t necessarily a good vs evil plot line, it focused more on what would be the best outcome overall in certain peoples perspectives
I read this at a great time as I already have the sequel so I’m hoping to get to it before the finale is released in a few weeks!
An underrated book and a great start to a series
This is a historical fantasy inspired by a mix of Irish and a little Norse mythology and although it isn’t the heaviest on fantastical elements, I do think there’s enough to keep any fantasy lover invested as it is one of the main drivers of the plot
The two female characters were great follows with personalities not to be messed with and they had intelligence. They both get thrown into some situations but I liked how they handled them, especially in the male dominated setting
It isn’t the most action packed story but the suspense leading up to certain events was the stand out, especially how fragile things felt. I also found it interesting how there wasn’t necessarily a good vs evil plot line, it focused more on what would be the best outcome overall in certain peoples perspectives
I read this at a great time as I already have the sequel so I’m hoping to get to it before the finale is released in a few weeks!
Took a while to get into it, but was very invested by the 50% mark. Great writing, really enjoyed the historical Ireland setting with a touch of magic. Overall a great start to the series and I'm looking forward to continuing.
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
What an absolutly fantastic and riveting read!! From the very first page all the way to the last page I was fully engrossed in the story. The two leads are amazing and probably the strongest female leads I've ever read. I haven't seen nor heard much talk about this book, so please read it!!
adventurous
emotional
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Lawless’s grasp on the history of Ireland interweaves so deftly with the magics of her world—they feel necessary and true to the time period, and never feel “too powerful” to the point where the threats of patriarchy, warfare, famine, and natural disaster are cheapened. The rivalry between the fire-wielding Fomorians and the Druid-like Tuatha de Danann always underpinned the tensions of the plot, given that our protagonists belong to those factions and that each faction is determined to shape mortal power structures to give themselves some advantage, but the primary evens were just that: mortal power struggles between Irish and Norse Viking men. The time jumps never felt jarring, because political machinations take time to come to fruition. And because, though there’s clean cause-and-effect plot happening, CGFM is at its core an incredibly character driven story.
The female leads, Fodla and Gormflaith, belong to different/warring factions of magic users and are far older than the mortals whose destinies they’re shaping, but their stories are still so tremendously human. Perhaps F more than G… Though I will say that I understood G’s ruthlessness given her upbringing, and that she’s one of the last of her kind, and given that she’s actually lived as a married woman in a culture where autonomy for women is a laughable concept. I think that when you’re incredibly powerful and your only avenue for expressing that power is advancing your male progeny, your choices might veer toward what we mortals would consider “morally gray”, especially when you’ve lived many human lifetimes and spent those lifetimes being abused and used by old men. To then have that same son betray her to another life of marital rape for his own political advancement is heartbreaking. While I’d normally love to see a toxic boy-mom have that attitude punished, I very much felt for G by the end of her arc in this book, and am excited to see how she will pivot moving forward. I personally am hoping for fire-based revenge.
All that to say, despite not liking G and her decisions, I was still compelled by her character. As her counterpart, F was far more a moral center to the story, and a lot easier to root for even when various factors made her decision making more naive (like, far more naive. I had to remind myself regularly that she was over a century old). Her relationship with her sister and grief at her banishment tugged at my heartstrings, and led to such bittersweet feelings whenever F interacted with her nephew on page. I really enjoyed her slow comearound to the idea that not all men were awful and violent and prone to hurt her, both through seeing her sweet as sugar nephew grow up and through actually interacting with some human men in the first place. I especially loved her desire to use her healing magic to protect and save those who found themselves victims of violence (especially when she bucked up against the council decisions forbidding her from using her magic for ends other than their political Machinations, which of course she doesn’t get to be privy to).
In short, when I first read Marion Zimmer Bradley’s Mists of Avalon, this is what I wished it would be—a female-centric story that doesn’t shy from the fact that it was hard to exist as a woman under such a heavy yoke of patriarchy, but one that doesn’t bash femininity and the worthwhileness of a woman’s viewpoint during times of strife. I loved Fodla’s aversion to war and her mistrust of men, whether or not it was founded, and her slow understanding that the rigid guidelines of her council are more regressive than she can live with. Though I found her motivations suspect and frustrating, Gormflaith’s ruthless approach to consolidating power for her son (and thus, herself) was immensely satisfying. The writing was smooth, clean, and pacey. Lawless’s prose never veers to purple, and it kept me turning pages as much as my care for the characters did. What a great start to the series. I’ll definitely be reading more, and soon.
The female leads, Fodla and Gormflaith, belong to different/warring factions of magic users and are far older than the mortals whose destinies they’re shaping, but their stories are still so tremendously human. Perhaps F more than G… Though I will say that I understood G’s ruthlessness given her upbringing, and that she’s one of the last of her kind, and given that she’s actually lived as a married woman in a culture where autonomy for women is a laughable concept. I think that when you’re incredibly powerful and your only avenue for expressing that power is advancing your male progeny, your choices might veer toward what we mortals would consider “morally gray”, especially when you’ve lived many human lifetimes and spent those lifetimes being abused and used by old men. To then have that same son
All that to say, despite not liking G and her decisions, I was still compelled by her character. As her counterpart, F was far more a moral center to the story, and a lot easier to root for even when various factors made her decision making more naive (like, far more naive. I had to remind myself regularly that she was over a century old). Her relationship with her sister and
In short, when I first read Marion Zimmer Bradley’s Mists of Avalon, this is what I wished it would be—a female-centric story that doesn’t shy from the fact that it was hard to exist as a woman under such a heavy yoke of patriarchy, but one that doesn’t bash femininity and the worthwhileness of a woman’s viewpoint during times of strife. I loved Fodla’s aversion to war and her mistrust of men, whether or not it was founded, and her slow understanding that the rigid guidelines of her council are more regressive than she can live with. Though I found her motivations suspect and frustrating, Gormflaith’s ruthless approach to consolidating power for her son (and thus, herself) was immensely satisfying. The writing was smooth, clean, and pacey. Lawless’s prose never veers to purple, and it kept me turning pages as much as my care for the characters did. What a great start to the series. I’ll definitely be reading more, and soon.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting, War, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, Slavery, Fire/Fire injury
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No